Chapter 4 - The Missing Forty-Two Million
Julian reached Vance Industries at 6:15 that evening.
Victoria was still under observation, and she had made him promise not to do anything reckless.
He broke that promise before the elevator doors opened.
Two detectives waited outside his office.
So did Graham Pierce.
Graham looked exhausted, his tie loose and his silver hair damp with sweat.
"You should have called me before sending police here."
"I didn't send them."
Graham stared at him.
"Then who did?"
A woman stepped from Julian's office.
"I did."
She introduced herself as Naomi Reed, chief compliance officer for Sterling Global.
Julian had met her once at a conference and remembered her as someone who could make a room feel audited simply by walking into it.
"Mrs. Vance authorized a preliminary forensic review three weeks ago," Naomi said. "We found payments that appeared to originate from your treasury department."
Graham folded his arms.
"Appeared?"
Naomi handed Julian a copy.
The wire authorizations bore Julian's digital signature.
Forty-two million dollars had been sent over eighteen months to Alder Ridge Consulting.
"I never approved these."
Graham said quickly, "Then your credentials were compromised."
Naomi looked at him.
"That is one possibility."
"What's the other?"
"That someone with administrative authority inserted the approvals after the fact."
Graham's expression did not move.
Julian noticed.
"Who has that authority?"
Naomi opened another page.
"The CFO."
Graham's face hardened.
"This is outrageous."
"So is forty-two million dollars disappearing."
"I have run this company's finances for sixteen years."
"Then you should be eager to help us find it."
Graham looked at Julian.
"You know me."
Julian thought of his father's funeral.
Christmases.
Late-night rescues during recessions.
Then he thought of his mother saying Victoria had fallen.
He was suddenly tired of people asking to be trusted instead of offering proof.
"Give them access."
Graham's face changed.
"To what?"
"Everything."
"Julian—"
"Everything."
The detectives began imaging servers.
Naomi walked Julian into his office and closed the door.
"There is something else."
She set a photograph on the desk.
It showed a storage unit in Winnetka.
"Alder Ridge pays the rent on this unit."
"What's inside?"
"We don't know. The warrant is being processed."
Julian picked up the image.
A black SUV sat in the background.
He recognized the license plate.
His mother's driver used that SUV.
"When was this taken?"
"Yesterday."
He looked closer.
Someone was standing beside the storage door.
The image was grainy, but the posture was familiar.
"That's my mother."
Naomi nodded.
Julian's phone buzzed.
A text from Victoria.
BABY IS FINE. DOCTOR WANTS ME OVERNIGHT.
Then another message appeared from an unknown number.
A photograph.
Victoria asleep in her hospital bed.
Taken from inside the room.
May you like
Under it were six words:
STOP THE AUDIT OR SHE FALLS AGAIN.
